Sunday, 25 September 2016

One of the Executive
Members of City Harvest Church, Calvin Ho, has finally spoken (or written). Not
surprisingly, he stands firm on the side of Kong Hee and Sun Ho. He is asking
for “the establishment to demonstrate sound moral judgment and consistency of
its acts” because he “can no longer
see this unprecedentedly protracted court case go so wrong in the eyes of (his)
conscience, and so unjustified in so many aspects, and to-date still delivers
an awful lack of convincing balance of sound, good-conscience judgment.”
Underscore “awful”.

Calvin then went
on to “call out the obvious that is so wrong, in the whole scheme of things,
and with a beholding of the state of affairs in this country (he) observe(s),
as a total human-citizen-Christian-CHC Executive Member observer.”

He then posed
five questions in his letter and I have
added my thoughts to them– as usual. Here
goes.

First, he asked,
“where is the legal basis for CBT when there is no personal gain or benefit?” I
will respectfully leave this part in the ably hands of the Court of Three
Judges because as a Christian, my concern has always been with the spiritual
and moral responsibility, stewardship and accountability of the CHC’s leadership
before any dissected legal culpability of the collective six.

On this note, what
is therefore not denied (and can’t be denied) is that Kong Hee’s stewardship
has fallen way below what is expected of a leader, especially a church. The
laundry list starts with shifting blame instead of bearing them, lying to the
Church about his wife’s singing success and album sales, shamelessly touting
her as the next “Whitney Houston,”
living off the millions in extravagance while the poor and struggling in his
Church live in modest accommodation, some
even just scraping by, splurging on his wife quite mindlessly on a pretense
of questionable evangelism resulting in money that could be used for other more
worthy, effective and proven evangelistic causes (and definitely less
controversial), and failing to make full and frank disclosure as the trustee,
shepherd and professed lover of the Church about the Crossover Project where
millions of hard-earned member’s money were spent.

I can go on
about China Wine and the perversion of the gospel (which was met with
disapproval from other church leaders), but I think you get the drift.

Where is then
the responsibility and accountability in all this? Where is the stewardship and
shepherdship of God’s people and their money? I can understand that one needs to
readily forgive his or her pastor, he is
just a man after all, but how do you even start the forgiveness,
reconciliation and healing process when the church leaders admit to nothing,
deflect all blame to his subordinates, and rally a defence (not legal mind you)
to insulate himself (and herself) from any wrongdoing? I know one should not be
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, but shouldn’t one be ashamed of the gospel of
lies?

Maybe, Calvin can answer all that with his clear-eyed
conscience?

Second, “who is
the State Prosecution to tell the Church, its members and its leaders if they
should or should not direct their building fund money to invest in a Crossover
love outreach mission, if their Church Constitution already empowers the
Management Board and leaders to do so?” Calvin then talked about the lack of
transparency in the many Town Councils’ alleged investments in “risky
collapsing Lehman Brothers stocks during the 2008 subprime crisis period, and
why they are allowed to divert large funds to invest in such instruments, and
lost millions?”

Here, I am
reminded of the verses that say, “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges
17:6) and ”there
is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”(Proverbs 14:12).

Let
admit it, it’s just a matter of time anyway. Being right at most times is a psychological
sentence that locks one in a self-assuring mental prison of self-belief and
self-invulnerability. The forces that gather once a man or woman thinks he is
right and unimpeachable, even infallible of the ex cathedra kind, are
self-reinforcing, and the resilience that is built up by the deluded will
resist even the plainest of common sense, the sharpest of wits, and the
sincerest of persuasion. And to the deceived, the many numbers that checked
their brains out at the door, it is strangely the coldest comfort that they are
readily prepared to embrace because form always supersedes substance, convenience
is preferred to character, and groupthink prevails over critical individual
reflection.

Thirdly, Calvin
asked these series of questions, and this has to be quoted verbatim so as to
not dilute its biting irony, “If the six charged and accused CHC leaders were
swindlers and cheated of the Church members of their hard earned money, then
why not haul all the 500 Executive Members to come testify and witness? Why
were no victims called to testify?
Why has even no Church Management Board Members been called to testify?”

Well, in the
light of what has happened, and putting aside Mr Poon and the price he had paid
before he was vindicated (and with no
apology forthcoming mind you) and considering that the attendance of CHC had
been slashed by almost half since the start of this fiasco, is CHC really a victimless
church? Is Calvin speaking for the whole church or the members past who had
left and present, that is, is he speaking for those who have donated and will
still donate to CHC with glee or those who had given and then left in disgust
because they felt betrayed and fleeced?

Of course,
Calvin can argue that we are talking about legal wrong here to fit the crime
charged. But in cases like this, where I am talking about how my Savior will go
out of his way to look for that one stray sheep out of the 99, can we honestly
say that CHC under Kong Hee’s and Sun Ho’s leadership has suffered no real
loss? One really has to define loss and let’s not be flippant or legalistic
about it.

Alas, I believe
victimhood is a state of mind, that is, it is a mind-over-matter thing. Yes,
you heard the jingle right, “If you don’t
mind it, it don’t matter.” That is why I guess Calvin boldly wrote this, “How
could you so neglect people like me who is an Executive Member for almost 15
years (in my estimation of years) as witness, and I am just one of the
hundreds?”

I have no doubt that
Calvin, being a “total human-citizen-Christian-CHC Executive Member observer,”
will stand up for Kong Hee and Sun Ho – even if they ask him to sell his house,
car and the shirt on his back for even more dubious and controversial projects
as long as it is all carried out in the pristine name of evangelism. Again, I
reiterate that it is not about what Kong Hee was being legally charged for. It
is however about the spiritual and moral responsibility placed under his
charge. Has he lived up to it? Does he
need to reflect more about it, and not whitewash himself more on the
international and local stage?

Fourthly, and
this is disturbingly strange because Calvin went on to say that “every year we
see government ministries having endless cases of lapses amounting to millions
of dollars unaccounted for properly and all you need is one Cabinet minister to
stand up in public to declare all these lapses were not result of dishonesty
but genuine human errors, with media splashing all over echoing such positive
statement, and then the case is closed with no one daring to question publicly
otherwise,” then he tried to marry
that whole mouthful with this “incompatible
bride”, “now, not that I claim there is dishonesty there (???), but what I
am saying is – who is going to investigate? (for no dishonesty?) Are we sure no
one is having private gain? Why not the State Prosecution haul up all these
offenders and grill them in court to find out as much as they grill the six CHC
accused leaders?”

Is he for real? Is he treading in the rapid waters of
defamatory undertows? Was this expressly or tacitly approved by Kong Hee? Or
did Kong Hee secretly desire for this to be published without thinking about
its negative consequences?

At this moment,
I really don’t know whether he is helping Kong Hee’s cause or is he digging it deeper
into the abyss of guilt for him both in the physical realm and the social media
platform? You be the judge.

Finally, he
repeated the so-called injustices by writing, “What is clear is there is no
wrongful gain to any of the six accused leaders of CHC, as convincingly
established by the defense counsels, yet the Prosecution, riding on the loud
speaker engine of the state media, kept making loud, high sounding,
sensationalized quotes such as “Lies! Falsehood!” - which are all so readily
lapped up by the public as juicy news-bites.”

This is how
Calvin ended, “I hope the establishment could make a convincing deliberation to
end this unworthy protracted longest court case history in Singapore, where the
Prosecution could go as far as the letter simply because the Church was parked
under the Charity code of conduct.

It is time for a national
rethink perhaps to separate religious organizations from the Charities. The
Church is not a charity, period. It is caught in the Achilles heel for law
argument sake simply because of the Charity code, but it is definitely a law
argument without sound conscience or proper moral reasoning.”

Calvin, I know you are focusing on the legal aspect of the comparison between charity and church. However, here is my
one-paragraph reply that is directed at the total forest of things, that is, the bigger picture on church leadership, and not just on a few trees of legal argument. Ready?

“The Church is definitely not
a charity period, because it is much more than a charity. It goes beyond the
standards and codes of conduct expected of a charity, which governs her effectiveness,
transparency, openness, and accountability. The Church is all that and much
more. The Church is ordained by God, led by His Spirit, and has Jesus as her reigning
head. The Church is not called to be followers of men, however promising they
appear to be on stage, but of the Crucified and Risen Christ. The Church is
redeemed by His blood and is counted righteous by that one sacrifice surpassing
all sacrifices of old. Jesus paid the ultimate price and we as his redeemed think,
do, act and respond in all ways and manners that accord unreserved glory, honor
and praise to His name. We are not perfect but in Him, we have our being, our
salvation, our hope, our joy, our faith, our love and our peace. We do fall
sometimes, but what sets us apart is that we admit to it, repent from it and
turn from our wicked ways. Love is not blind Calvin, but it bears the Cross,
pays the price and gives of Himself to and for the Church. Love conquers all,
yes, but first, you must allow it to conquer you and all your worldly desires
(and blind ambition and allegiance). So, you are right, Calvin, the Church is
not a charity period. But it is a place where hearts are transformed, spirits are
lifted, souls are encouraged, our flesh is crucified, lives are born again,
love reigns, leaders sacrifice, leaders take responsibility, leaders shoulder
the blame, leaders lift Jesus high and not themselves or their wife, and
leaders do as they say and say as they do. In the foxhole of church leadership,
the leader is the last to leave. Jesus set the example for the Church, and we
are called to follow that example. And He stayed behind in the foxhole called
Calvary, and he never left. Jesus has called us to live simply since this world
is not our home – lest we mistake its
possession for our possession. We are warned not to let the love of money (or the idolatry of spouse) cause our
downfall. We are called to be beyond reproach as leaders and not to drag the
Church through a legal entanglement that lasted for five years all for a so-called
evangelistic project that is highly questionable, deeply disturbing, undeniably
self-glorifying, wholly unproven and plainly arbitrary. Where is the Crossover now, the seedy gyration, Calvin? Aren’t the
gallivanting couple going back to the good old fashioned evangelism – the way
Jesus did it? We are reminded that we are in the world but not of the
world, and definitely not become the world in order to save the world. We are
called to always turn our eyes upon Jesus and the things of the world will go
strangely dim, and not turn our eyes upon prosperity, membership expansion, multisensory
programs, worldly identification and consummation, indulgent living, and promoting
a culture of secrecy that is controlled by one, and allow the high calling and the
glorified name of Jesus to go insidiously dim.”

Calvin, I know you love your
pastor. I know you wish him well. I know you may see all this as worldly
persecution. But put all that aside, reflecting for yourself, away from the
mesmerizing crowd and culture, do you think Kong Hee and Sun Ho have nothing to
apologize for, nothing that they have done, judged, said, and thought wrong
that they should be responsible and accountable for?

Leaving legal aside, is Kong
Hee “morally blameless” for the lies,
deception, arbitrariness, obsession and misappropriation? Is he strategically reserving
an apology to an opportune time because it is inconvenient and inappropriate to
do so before the trial ends then and before the appeal concludes now?

Bro, is there a rightful time to take responsibility for a wrongful
crime (or moral wrong)?

I hope that in the same way
that I have deeply reflected and replied to what you have written, you would do
the same for mine. For it is undeniable that all 500 of you will unquestionably
stand up for Kong Hee, but will you stand up for what is right? Cheerz.

"If the
six charged and accused CHC leaders were swindlers and cheated of the Church
members of their hard earned money, then why not haul all the 500 Executive
Members to come testify and witness? Why were no victims called to testify? Why
has even no Church Management Board Members been called to testify?

This to me
is so lop-sided and absurd as it is, as I see the establishment calling out
witnesses as they deem fit yet in their choice of witness not a single witness
to date was convincing in their total witness testimony that any of the six
accused did wrong that is worthy of criminal charge and punishing jail terms.

How could
you so neglect people like me who is an Executive Member for almost 15 years
(in my estimation of years) as witness, and I am just one of the
hundreds?"

Lesson? Yes,
just one. It is called "The Foolish Kong Hee - a lamentation".

Oh, Kong
Hee, oh Kong Hee, how foolish can you be, Kong Hee?

Throughout
this saga, you have shown to be of little faith in the crossover project. You
have disappointed many who have put their faith and trust in you. Your
apologetic god will not be pleased, trust me.

Like Joseph
Prince in his Swiss Alps experience where his god told him in ghetto-speak that
he was mixing law with grace, you have mixed doubt with faith.

You ought to
be ashamed of yourself, even remorseful. The errors of your way is that you
have underestimated the power of congregational giving when it comes unhinged
with the power of congregational believing.

It's
practically a blankcheque trust, but you did not cash it in 100%. You helped it
along. You overdid things. You itchy backside. You exposed your insecurity with
Xtron, Firna and all. And for that, you are paying an unnecessary price now.

Your lack of
faith is your downfall. You have lost your way because of fear, anxiety and
overcompensation. It is a lesson you will learn the hard way.

By now, you
should know that there is absolutely no need for you to maneuver in the dark
when you could have done so in the light. You therefore don't need to borrow
the covers of the night to launch off your supposedly evangelistic Trojan-horse
front of your wife's singing career when you could have rolled her out in the
open meadow of undisguised extravagance and opulent living.

She should
have been the superstar that you have always wanted her to be without the
dubious vehicle of loan investments, sham companies and questionable round
tripping.

The $24
million shouldn't have been made to look like a drug mule bloated with cash
trying to skirt, avoid and escape detection by the authorities for suspected
fraud and misappropriation.

Instead, you
as their leader, their shepherd, their head rancher should have made full and
frank disclosure (without fear) to the faceless masses of tens of thousands who
simply believed, adored and admired you without condition and question (and
still inexplicably do).

Their
loyalty, devotion and trust in your leadership comes with a dedication of time,
money and effort that is simply out of this world. In other words, you don't
need a drug mule to make that crossover transition in secrecy and conspiracy.

You just
needed more faith in your thousands of supporters to put your beloved wife on a
bejeweled donkey (borrowing a Palm-Sunday analogy) and ride her into a certain cavalry
of what she once described as a life of self-sacrificing for being drawn away
from family, living in a lonely mansion, flying in top class cold comfort, and
immersing in a despiritualized world of fame, riches and carnal influences.

And now, you
are paying for this lamentable lack of faith in your die-hard members. Sure,
some will fall away by the wayside when you tell them the truth and nothing but
the truth about the Crossover Project.

They will
squint when you tell them that you will be promoting your wife's secular
singing career for evangelistic purpose. They will cringe when you tell them
that she is going full throttle with obscene videos where she will gyrate
sensually and make sexually suggestive expressions all for a godly cause.

And they may
even walk out when you tell them that her "sacrifices" also involve
spending millions of the building funds to ensure that you keep up with
appearances by making sure she lives in unimaginable luxury, with personal
grooming and services of the highest class, but with the endgame of saving
souls in mind and heart.

But let them
be. Let them go. Leave them leave. They are someone else's problem - not yours.
You shouldn't have abandoned your faith in the rest of your members just
because you are spooked by a handful.

You have
forgotten yet so easily that you still have an army. You still have a legion.
You have innumerable; they numbered the stars. You can always depend on them to
stick by you come rain or shine, storm or blue skies, crossroads or crossover.

Alas, yet
you have failed them. You underestimated their fealty, their undying devotion,
their unconditional love for you. It could all have been so different, so
victorious, so glorious! It could have been a success way beyond your wildest
imagination.

All you
needed to do was to have more faith to tell them about your unembellished
intentions, ambitions and motives for your wife's singing career, and not leave
any of the morally unspeakable stuff as seen in China Wine video out, and you
will be surprised - I assure you - of their collective response. They will
still support you. They will still cheer for you. They will still donate
unconditionally. Some will no doubt leave, but the critical mass will nevertheless
give.

So, you will
still have many who will support you. You can therefore still achieve your goal
for the Crossover Project.

However, by
taking the long faithless route of setting up dubious companies, issuing
suspicious bonds, and expending millions in cover-ups, instead of openly and
boldly asking money from them, you have dug your own grave. You have capsized
your own ship.

Oh Kong Hee, Oh Kong
Hee, how foolish can you be, Kong Hee! You have only yourself to blame. You are
running from the hauntings of an imagined guilt. You are therefore the author
of your own misfortune. Because you have gone ahead mindlessly to do as thou
wilt. Cheerz.

Sunday, 18 September 2016

Two men went up
to the temple court to pray and to plead their case, one a CEO and the other, his tax auditor. The CEO
knew what he wanted to say. He had it all scripted. He was all dressed up for
the occasion. He was all ready to prove his worth and value to the temple
heads.

He
even came with an entourage, flanked by many who knew him, adored him and would
do anything to defend him. They were there to marvel at what he has to say.
They were all ready to be awed by him.

His wife came with him too. She was there to support him. She was confident of
her husband's unimpeachable character. She stood all ready to stand by him. She knew he could do no wrong.

The CEO entered the temple
gates, walked into the pristine place and perched himself at the center of the
grand hall before a crowd of witnesses. He looked around, bowed at the temple heads,
and began his speech:-

"My Lord, I
thank you for my innocence. I thank you that I am not like those who took
millions and splurged it on themselves. All they care about is themselves. But my
Lord, I am different. I stand apart from them. I did not pocket a single cent. I gave it all back. I mean everything. It was never about personal
gain.My company suffered no
wrongful loss.I was not dishonest. It was always for a good cause. I did it wholeheartedly for my company.

In fact, I did everything for the people. I led by example. I
have people who will stand by me. They supported me unquestionably. They gave of
their time, talent and love gifts to my organization without reservation. That
is how much respect I have earned from them, and mind you, it is all hard work
on my part.

I would have you know that I expand my company faster than those neighborhood shops around
me. I have other companies from other countries following after my business model.
They are setting up their organization based on my blueprint. I have even
started schools based on my teachings and my leadership style. My overseas project may
be unorthodox, even controversial, but it brings in the crowd, the fame and even the cash contributions. I am doing everything right, sir.

For all this, I have to thank my beloved wife. She is
my sun-light, my inspiration. She is my wisdom. She had stripped of herself of almost everything in
order to win contracts for the company. She has sacrificed greatly for me and
she therefore deserves the best of everything. I will not spare a cent to
make sure she lives in comfort and wealth. If anything should happen to me, she is my successor, needless to say. No one deserves more than her to fill my shoes.

My Lord, big names have come all over the world to seek my
counsel. They come in busloads to watch me lead on stage.
I am in hot demand as a speaker, a performer and an image consultant. I am
indefatigable when it comes to expanding my company and enlarging my
estate. My people love me.

My company's growth and the people's undying affection for me are
what sets me apart from the rest of those who are now still struggling with
their finances, numbers and building space.

So, I consider my leadership beyond
reproach. I have sought regular legal and auditors' advice. I
cannot be blamed for matters for which I have no control over. I am therefore not guilty. Not at all.

And if
those below me have missed a step or committed a wrong, I cannot be held
responsible for their actions as their CEO. I have done my part as their leader and I can
only do so much as a man.

My Lord, I am no superman. Many things are really
beyond me. You will have to look elsewhere for the culprit. I am and will always be
innocent. I rest my case. Thank you for your time."

It was the tax auditor's turn. He stood at a distance. He would not even look up at the temple
heads, but he beat his breast and said, ‘My
Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner. Forgive me I plead. I accept unreserved
responsibility for my failings. I am truly sorry."

“I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified
before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who
humble themselves will be exalted.” (Luke 18:14) Cheerz.

Please
prepare for this. It is a rant. It might go nowhere. Hit empty targets. Miss
the spot. Or just idle away.

But it is no
less a rant. It is a rant about us. About how we have changed. About how we
have put ourselves above others. About how we have forgotten what is truly
enduring, life-enriching, and in its place, pursued what is simply degrading
and life-destroying.

This rant is
blind to being tactful. It is insensitive to people's feelings. It is blunt and
some may say attention seeking.

But a rant is
no respecter of persons. It comes as it wishes, makes the point and leaves when
it’s done.

This is my
rant and I am taking off the gloves here. I am going straight for the heart of
the issue. The jugular. That vital pulse
that still matters in us. Here comes my foul mouth. Ready with apology?

Alright.
Here it is. I shall lay it down here. Fire away.

We are all insane. Yes we are. We are insane in the way we care only for
ourselves. This is glaring in how we treat our loved ones, our spouse, our
marriage.

We treat
marriage as a me-centered
relationship. We enter into it hoping to get something out of it rather than to
give of ourselves to our partner. It is always a case of when-the-going-gets-tough, the-act-tough-bails.

The high
divorce rate everywhere speaks about a timeless love that has taken a long
leave of absence. And in its place is instant self-gratification, self-indulgence
and self-elevation.

The marriage
vows have become a commercial jingle and when the music and fun stop, we start
looking for diversions, distractions and marital indiscretions. 7-year itch has been reduced to 7-month full
body scratch.

Happy-ever-after
is now happy-in-what-I-am-after. And when happy is no longer happy, we take the
next bus of divorce out of the marriage. Love
train becomes lust reigns.

Here comes
the second rant. Ready, with pardon? Fire
away.

We are also
insane in the way we view sex in marriage. It has become an obsession, and
fornication and adultery are now badges of honor, and not shame. It is the same
way with virginity is prude and blow jobs before kisses.

We boast
about it. We give the adulterer a pat on the back. We cheer with the
fornicator. We say we understand. We say to them, "If she is not giving you right, go for someone who can."

We tell them
that first marriage is always experimental, don't take the vows at the altar
too seriously. Don’t be naïve or old fashioned. Move with the time. Flow with
it.

We comfort
the guilty and put guilt on those who need comfort. We want to be
understanding, liberal, open minded, avant
garde, modern, flexible, acceptable, ahead of the curves, likeable,
outstanding and admired.

We want
pornographic sex in marriage. We want to be satisfied first. We want to be
served first.

Sex in
marriage is now a competition. We are looking for the best service around and
marriage is no promise of the best service provider. Recall this is a rant? And recall it is insensitive to others'
feelings. Ready for another, sorry?

Here it
comes...and it has got to do with politics. Fire away.

Love may
TRUMP hate, but not common sense. America is sadly leading the way here. When
Hillary said that half of Mr Donald Trump's supporters could be put in a
"basket of deplorables," she was deplorably foolish to say that.

She is
forgetting she's a politician. She has been one since decades ago. She should
know better, much better. Foolishness doesn't even cut it for her.

Hillary
apologised after that and she did the politically correct thing. She needed
their votes. She needed to suck it up.
She is a politician, remember?

And here's a
tribute to them politicians by Groucho Marx: "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing
it, and then misapplying the wrong remedies."

But
seriously, here is my rant about the "basket of deplorables" and you
can actually find them everywhere. I have been one long enough to know how to
spot them on the streets, in large gatherings, in a mob, and even in some
megachurches.

But let's
not jump into the religion bandwagon just yet. My rant is about politics and
Trump is leading the way. He is the epitome of our time. He is like "Moses" but trust me, the sea ain't
parting.

A writer
once said this, "Mr Trump is a deplorable candidate - to put it charitably
- and anyone who helps him advance his racial, religious and ethnic bigotry is
part of that bigotry. Period.

Anyone who
elevates a sexist is part of that sexism. The same goes for xenophobia. You
can't conveniently separate yourself from the detestable part of him because
you sense in him the promise of cultural or economic advantage.

That hair
(like the sea) cannot be split. Furthermore, one doesn't have to actively hate
to contribute to a culture that allows hate to flourish.

It doesn't
matter how lovely your family, how honorable your work or service, how devout
your faith - if you place ideological adherence or economic self-interest above
the moral imperative to condemn and denounce a demagogue, then you are
deplorable." (Charles M. Blow).

Now, that's
ranting with class and I can't agree with him more.

You see, we
live in an age where we readily equate fame with virtue. The popular gets away
with almost everything, and can do anything with feted dying affection.

We worship
the celebrities in concert halls, in stadiums, in open-road rallies, and in
megachurches, but we forget about the unknown or never known, the ones battling
with terminal illness, the ones struggling to make ends meet, the ones
supporting the family while the head of the household has abandon them for
another, and the ones who are morally and religiously condemned for being
different, less than perfect, and for having fallen because of a moment of
human fragility. Sin is always other people remember?

And with Google,
Facebook and Yahoo!, we can readily call up people's sins in the past with condemning
exactitude, but we easily forget people's inspiring deeds in a second. God can
readily forget our past sins, but we can't thanks to modern technology. We
can't move forward because the hauntings of the past come in surround-sound,
enhanced 3D visuals and in full blasting Technicolor. We are living our present
and forestalling our future just for our cursed past. We have lost the right to
be forgotten. To forget what needs no remembrance – or else, there would never
be full closure and recovery. Cursed
digital memory!

Indeed, our
insanity has no limit. And so is my tactless rant. Let me end here with
religion (my specialty). Strap up...it's the only rant here with no apologies.
Fire away!

Whether we
admit it or not, AW Tozer is right you know. If the Holy Spirit were to be
taken away from the megachurches today, 95% of us will still carry on as before
- its business as usual.

The
preachers, whether in fine leather or a suit and tie, will still tell you from
the mesmerizing pulpit that God's grace, favor and prosperity are on you - 100%. They will still tell you God wants
you to have big cars, big houses and a fat bank account.

They will
still tell you that if you give to the church, God will bless you materially.
And they will still tell you that repentance is so last century, blessings are
coming your way, sickness is not for you, God wants you to do nothing, and love
is all you need (forget about travailing in trials, overcoming life’s obstacles
and engaging in the disciplines of the Spirit).

Even when
the HS is no longer around (so says Tozer), the megachurches will still
prosper. They will still grow stronger in numbers. They will still have
millions of dollars coming in from donors who are thoroughly impressed with the
music, the band, the stage, and most of all, the one and only star of the
magnificent building that costs millions, that is, the preacher with the Midas
touch.

And they
will equate all that with spirituality because their feelings are telling them
it is just right, that they feel His presence, and that they are inspired to do
great things.

Alas, one
day, someone will pick up the Bible, read it from cover to cover for himself,
and put all of them celebrity preachers to shame!

So, in a
nutshell, if there is a new religion in town when the HS has taken leave, it
would have to be the religion of emotions. It is about feeling good. It is
about feeling loved. It is about feeling high. It is about me.

Herein ends my rant. My mindless screed. My aimless pitch. My pent-up screech. Have
I missed the target, skirt the issue, strayed off the path? I hope not. I hope
I have made some sense. Cheerz.

It’s stone
casting time guys. Everybody take up that rock and take aim.

Today’s
papers (8 September 2016) reports that a lawyer, "who had an affair with a former air
stewardess he was representing in divorce-related matters, was given a
three-month suspension by a Court of Three Judges yesterday.”

To add to
that grip in the rock you are holding, the lawyer, Mr Lee, is married and
admitted to the tryst at a hotel over two days in January 2014. And to burst
that bobbing vein in your grip, the lady has a boyfriend and it was he who
reported the incident to Law Society.

Both were
therefore supposedly attached: one matrimonial ties, and the other, in a
courtship.

Mr Lee in
fact “romanced his client for over two months, while representing her in
ancillary matters in divorce proceedings, and took some time to transfer the
case to another law firm.”

In
mitigation, Mr Lee said that he “was in a genuine relationship with her and was
not being dishonest” and being a lawyer of 12 years' standing, he also did
active pro bono legal work and served the Law Society.

Giving no
excuses, he expressed his deep remorse over the whole incident.

Lesson? Three.

1) The dilemma of monogamy. To some,
monogamy is freedom. To others, it is a sentence. To still others, it is an
excuse to do as thou wilt.

For some
married men, the 7-year itch never comes – his soul mate is the repellant to
all itches (corny, I know). For others, it comes once or twice. For still
others, it is an irresistible rash that requires constant scratching. Alas,
show me a man who loved unconditionally and I will show you more than a dozen
who don’t.

We live in a
world soaked in ideals all the time. It is the ideals of perfection. And it is
at times a struggle of herculean proportions to keep it up.

Mind you, I
am not excusing Mr Lee’s conduct. I am just trying to understand it. It is
without a doubt that he has violated a sacred code for lawyers, breached a
hallowed trust between a professional and his client, taken advantage of a
situation of unequal powers and position, and most of all, betrayed the marital
vows he had sworn to uphold.

Yet, who has
never fallen prey to a momentary lapse, and then perpetuate it with the hope of
never getting caught? There are skeletons in all our closets and some closets
are well-designed catacombs with chambers of secrets only the schemer himself
(or herself) knows.

2) The human prick. Every man confronts a
demon. This is the demon of himself. It is a demon of endless appetites. It is
a demon of wanting more, never having enough, and seeking alternative thrills
to get out of the monotony of life (and monogamy).

Temptation
is really the least of a man’s concern here. It is unrealistic to expect men
not to be tempted. The world around us is so hyper-sexualized that you have to
be living in a cave, perched high above a mountain and surrounded by a moat of
crocodiles not to be distracted everywhere you go.

However,
what is a man’s greatest twin nemesis in a profession that is liken to the
Omerta Oath – the code of silence and confidentiality between lawyers and clients
– is opportunity and time. Given the right opportunity and enough time, most
men will fall.

And just as
choices are made by men, opportunity and time are also made by them. It is
often blows after blows of crushing waves over an enduringly long time that
wear off the rock and with blows after blows of opportunity and time given for
the subject-matter of one’s attention, a violation of some sort is just a
stone’s throw away.

3) Hold that stone. It is reported that
after the hearing, Mr Lee told reporters: "I'm very sorry that I've hurt
the people around me. I hope to be given the space to recover."

There is
just something endearingly redeeming about a man who repents. Of course,
repentance must bear fruits and again, it is about opportunity and time, that
is, consciously making the opportunity to make amends and pay the price, and
giving it sufficient time to see it through to fruition.

For me,
everyday I wake up and look into my wife’s and children’s faces (while they are
asleep), I tell myself that I am going to make many choices today. Innumerable
choices in fact. And the only question for me is this: Will my choices add up
to make me love her and them more or draw me away little by little from them?

If I don’t
live intentionally, then I live on autopilot and the latter is always the
demon’s breeding ground. You see, the celebrated matador always go for the
heart of the bull because that is where it truly counts.

And for me,
I go to the heart of the issue where lasting changes can be found. And the heart
of the issue is to enlarge the opportunity for love and faithfulness in my
marriage and life by making conscious choices over time in the right direction,
notwithstanding the occasional slips. I understand that love rewards, but you
have to earn it first.

So, I am letting go of
my grip and the stone now as I see more hope in a repentant man who is prepared
to make amends than one who justifies a wrong with a shovel and layer after
layer of obstinacy. Cheerz.